


Gratitude

by absolutebeginner



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Era, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-14 01:46:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5724904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/absolutebeginner/pseuds/absolutebeginner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connie tries to be grateful whenever he can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gratitude

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Jeanconnie week 2015 and it's just 1k+ words of fluff and dorkiness.

_Armin_

"What's this?"

"Just take it, okay?" The object in question was a small- minuscule- paper box that, I was positive, was filled, just like last time, with candies. Not very fancy ones, but fairly expensive for the time being and the low income we had as soldiers.

"It's a present. But don't let Sasha find them or she'll steal them."

"No, Connie. Why are you giving me this? And last time too? Why?"

"Just... Ugh... Come on Armin. It's a thank you present. Just take it, yeah?"

"A thank you for what?"

"Uh... You know, being smart and keeping us alive. There are lives... that are important for some people..." Then suddenly everything fell into place, because earlier that week I had shot a gun and for the first time had taken someone else's life, another human being's life; and that had warranted Jean's survival. Last time I had received candies from Connie, we had found out Eren was capable of commanding the titans and I had to drag Jean's unconscious body as far away from the danger as possible until he recovered his senses.

"You mean Jean's?" Connie's eyes widened and his face turned bright red.

"What!? Of course not! That would be weird. I mean in general. Lives are important."

"You are not making sense Connie. I just killed another person. The only way you could possible mean that is if you are referring to Jean."  
Connie stared at me horrified for a solid minute and finally groaning said "Yeah... Okay. I'm grateful Jean is still alive."

"You should give him the candies."

"They are for you" he stubbornly explained.

"But I don't want them."  
Connie sighed and stared helplessly to the box of candies. "You don't understand. He's going to freak out. He likes Mikasa, and he had a thing with Marco. I don't even know what that was. And now he just hangs out with that new guy Marlo. I don't stand a chance."

"Don't sell yourself short, Connie. Plus you guys have been friends since our time as trainees. He's not going to reject you rudely."

"But he is going to..."

"You won't know if you don't ask." Connie just ducked his head shaking it vehemently. I felt bad for him.

"Come on. I'll go with you." He just nodded and meekly walked along with me. We found Jean on watch on the outskirts of our hiding place. There were dark circles around his eyes and he looked like he had aged over the past days although I was pretty sure all of us looked like that. I gave Connie a gentle shove seeing that he was hesitating over joining him. He silently approached Jean. Soon they had engaged in a calm conversation, so I retraced my steps.

\---

_Jean_

"Connie, what are you doing here?” I was surprised to see him here as I knew he was going to meet Armin while I was on watch. “You didn't give that to Armin?"

"He... didn't want them."

"Oh... Did, uh, he rejected you? Are you okay?" I asked concerned.

"What? Yes, of course I'm okay Jean." He said with a nervous laugh. I studied his face for a couple of seconds and decided that if he felt half the pain I was feeling for my one-sided crush, he deserved at least a comforting hug. I tried my best to think I wasn't taking advantage of him or the situation when I pulled him silently into my arms. He tensed up for a second, but immediately relaxed and hesitantly snaked his arms around my waist. When we pulled apart I could see that his face was flushed and he wouldn't meet my eyes, but with a trembling voice he asked while offering me the box of candy "Do you want some? I'll save one for Sasha but we can eat the rest." We had snuck out last afternoon to buy them at a nearby market and I had suggested milk and coconut flavor because they were my favorite as a child back in Trost and they weren't particularly expensive, at least not back then when there was not food shortage and political crisis, but still they were more affordable than other type of candies. I smiled as reassuring as I could while muttering a lame "thanks" and took a handful of candy giving back the rest to him and gesturing to sit at a nearby fallen trunk.

I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if he had bought the candies for me or rather for us to share, instead of for someone else. I also couldn't believe Armin would reject him. Then again he and Mikasa seemed to just look up to Eren. I was surprised when Connie told me red faced that he wanted to give Armin a present; surprised meaning infuriatingly jealous, but the short blond had saved my life and I wanted Connie to be happy with whomever he’d choose, so the least I could do was help Connie out.

"Good thing we chose my favorite flavor." I said awkwardly trying to lighten the mood and counted Connie's big grin as a success when he said "Yeah. That was a good move right there Jean." He bumped his shoulder against mine but didn't lean away, resting all his weight on me. It was a rather intimate gesture that made my heart race and it was just too easy to pretend we were together with how domestic and comfortable this felt. I sighed contentedly while opening another candy.

"I think you would like Trost coconut milk candies better."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely."

"Maybe we can go someday and compare them." I felt like melting with his words. Was he actually suggesting going back to Trost with me? I glanced at him while saying "My mom would love meeting you."

"I would love meeting her." He replied pointedly looking into my eyes. There was a strange spark of resolution flashing there for a second.

"When all of this is over you can come with me."

"Yeah? You promise?"

"If we survive..." I murmured mesmerized by the closeness of his beautiful eyes. He then grinned mischievously and tossed a candy wrapper at my face. "Hey! You moron!" I exclaimed out of surprise, but immediately I felt him nuzzling against me, his warm breath ghosting on my neck as he murmured a barely audible "promise me." I shivered and put my arms around his narrow body "I promise." I said firmly, and then I proceeded to shove all the candy wrappers inside his cloak while he laughed in surprise and happiness, spilling curses at me. At that moment I realized how much this boy meant to me and how desperately I was going to try to keep that promise.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr account is [absolutebeginnerthings](absolutebeginnerthings.tumblr.com)


End file.
